Triple Threat
by aviatrix8
Summary: Inumuta accepts Iori's offer to fight, but little does he realize that Iori is not as defenseless as he appears…


Copyright, Aviatrix8, 2015. Kill la Kill and all related characters are property of Trigger, and are used without permission.

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Warning for some mild shonen ai overtones. (I did try to keep it platonic, but oh well...)

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Kill la Kill fanfic:

"Triple Threat"

by Avi

"Hey Iori… Do you know how to defend yourself?"

Iori looked up from the Life Fiber data he had been examining with Inumuta, in the Sewing Club lab. Inumuta was gazing at him thoughtfully.

Iori raised an eyebrow at him. "I grew up with Lady Satsuki, if that answers your question. Do you think she would leave me defenseless?"

"Sorry, I didn't mean to offend," apologized Inumuta. "It's just that… I have plenty of data on the rest of the Elite Four's fighting skills, yet I have no clue to what you're capable of; I was just curious, that's all."

Iori pushed up his glasses. "Would you like to find out?"

"Pardon me?"

"I'm asking if you want to fight me."

Now it was Inumuta's turn to lift an eyebrow. "Are you certain, Iori? I wouldn't want to harm you, in any way."

"It's no trouble. You want your data, don't you? Unless you're afraid of getting hurt," he added, with a tiny smile.

Inumuta returned the smirk with one of his own. "Is that so? Then I accept your offer… Just don't say I didn't warn you."

"Let's go, then." Iori stood up from his seat.

Inumuta's eyes widened. "What, here? Now?"

"Yes, come on," replied Iori impatiently.

Shrugging, Inumuta followed Iori out of the room, and across the catwalk overlooking the lab.

"We're going to fight here, inside the lab?" asked Inumuta.

"Don't worry. I know a place nearby that will be safe and isolated," Iori assured him.

Inumuta followed Iori until they reached a steel door. The Sewing Club president entered a passcode into the electronic lock, then ushered Inumuta inside the room.

The room that Inumuta had just entered was huge, its walls lined with steel. All along those walls, were glass topped cases clearly holding Life Fibers, their reddish light casting an eerie glow in the room.

The floor of the room was surprisingly clear, but as Inumuta glanced up, he could see large wardrobes hanging from the ceiling, the types that were used to contain 2-star uniforms or higher. He could also see a complex pulley system up there, clearly meant to lower the wardrobes, when needed.

"This storage area should be sufficient for our needs," said Iori. "And no one should disturb us, in here."

Inumuta nodded. "Very well. Shall we begin?"

"Just give me a moment, if you don't mind?" asked Iori.

"Of course," said Inumuta, with an indulgent smile. "Take all the time you need."

Iori said nothing, as he walked a few feet away, then turned to face his friend. Inumuta was caught off guard at the smile that mirrored his own, upon Iori's face.

"You may regret saying that, Inumuta," he said, smirking. Iori then flipped up the left corner of his collar, revealing a shining black star underneath.

Inumuta's eyes widened as Iori as a blanket of red stars covered Iori, then faded away.

"Three-star Goku uniform, _Tailor's Regalia!_ "

Now Inumuta's eyes narrowed, at the intimidating figure in red and black that had replaced his unassuming little friend, with its four mechanized sewing machine arms weaving menacingly around him.

"So you do have a 3-star uniform… Interesting."

"You seem somewhat surprised," commented Iori, his face now concealed behind a green visor and heavy-looking gas mask.

"If you mean that you're wearing a 3-star uniform, I'm afraid not," replied Inumuta. "I had always suspected you wore one; why wouldn't you sew one for yourself? No, I'm just interested in the form your uniform has taken… How fascinating."

"Glad it caught your attention," said Iori dryly. "Now, are we going to stand here all day, or are we going to fight?"

Inumuta shrugged. "Very well. I'd hate to disappoint you." His collar closed over his smug expression, then rotated, to reveal all three stars; a shower of blue stars later, and Inumuta stood, fully transformed.

"Three-star Goku uniform, Probe Regalia!" Inumuta typed onto one of his wrist keyboards, with a flourish.

Iori straightened up, at the sight of Probe Regalia. "Well, then. Shall we get started?"

"If you insist. But don't think I'll go easy on you."

"Heh. I would be insulted if you did."

"You may regret those words, Iorin." Inumuta and his smug grin then faded away from sight, like a Cheshire Cat. Iori stiffened, in anticipation of Inumuta's attack.

Now that he was hidden from view by his optical camouflage, Inumuta could observe Iori's so-called Tailor's Regalia, in closer detail. As he typed idly into his wrist keyboard, he couldn't help but notice that Iori had designed a Regalia that was almost the perfect counter to his own; Probe Regalia was all about quick attacks at close range, but the mechanical arms on Tailor's Regalia, though clearly designed for sewing, were made for ranged attacks, and could easily trap him, if he wasn't careful.

 _Well, then. I'll just have to even the odds a bit,_ thought Inumuta to himself.

"Do you plan on hiding all day, Inumuta?" taunted Iori. "Or do you fear my Tailor's Regalia that much?" he added, his mechanized arms snapping at the empty air.

Suddenly, Iori found himself surrounded by several copies of Inumuta in Probe Regalia.

"Satisfied now?" It was difficult to tell where Inumuta's voice was coming from.

"Trying to use your afterimages to distract me, hmm?" asked Iori, eyeing the multiple copies of Probe Regalia warily.

"My Probe Regalia is all about driving one to distraction," smirked Inumuta, his copies posing shamelessly. "But of course you'd know that, since you designed it."

 _I wonder if he's regretting some of his design choices now_ , thought Inumuta, in amusement. He couldn't see Iori's expression behind the gas mask, but he could tell that the tailor was somewhat disconcerted.

"If you think this will distract me, then you are sadly mistaken!" Iori's sewing machine arms began snapping at the images, dispersing them, but Inumuta merely replaced them with new ones.

 _Hmmm, he doesn't seem to want to move from that spot_ , observed Inumuta, to himself. He had noticed the tightly wound fabric around Iori's legs earlier, and had wondered why the tailor would choose a design for himself that would only allow a limited amount of movement.

 _No matter. I can use this to my advantage._

Still camouflaged, Inumuta carefully dodged the mechanical arms, and came up behind Iori.

Just as he was close enough to attack however, Iori turned around to face him.

 _Oh crap! He sensed my presence!_ thought Inumuta, in dismay.

Inumuta was even more shocked as Iori leapt into the air, away from him. Despite himself, Inumuta decided to break his camouflage, and press on with his attack.

 _Surely he can't move very fast in that heavy uniform,_ thought Inumuta. He leapt after Iori, closing in enough so they were face-to-face, in the air.

He was so close in fact, that Inumuta could see Iori's eyes narrow, and he realized he had made a grave error.

"Bad move," said Iori smugly.

Inumuta could hear the rustle of cloth below him; he had just enough time to register Iori unwrapping his legs from his uniform, before he was kicked right in the face.

Inumuta staggered slightly, but corrected himself in the air and flipped away; he had just enough presence of mind to notice Iori flip away backwards, as well. Both landed on the ground, and slid back; Inumuta typing furiously as he did so, while Iori supported his landing with his mechanized arms and one hand.

As they faced one another, Inumuta straightened, and wiped his mouth with one hand; there was a smear of blood upon it.

"You actually hit me… I am impressed."

"Don't think it will be the last time," smirked Iori, sweeping the trailing cloth of his uniform behind him. He then ran straight towards Inumuta.

Caught off guard, Inumuta hastily cast a set of afterimages before him, and activated his camouflage… But not quickly enough.

"Too slow!" exclaimed Iori triumphantly. One of his sewing machine arms snapped at what appeared to be empty air, but then revealed itself to be Inumuta's ankle.

Inumuta gritted his teeth as he was swung into the air, while one of the other sewing machines latched on to his other leg. Iori then lifted him up with both mechanical arms, until Inumuta was dangling upside down in front of him, face-to-face.

"Give up yet?" Inumuta could hear the smirk in Iori's voice.

"Hardly." He playfully stuck his tongue out at Iori.

Iori looked somewhat taken aback by this gesture; Inumuta took this advantage of this by reaching out and grabbing him by the shoulders. Bracing himself, Inumuta kicked out one leg, then the other, freeing them from the grip of the sewing machine arms; he winced as his legs were scratched, as he did so.

Landing lightly in front of Iori, Inumuta quickly phased out of sight, just as the mechanical arms closed in, snapping at his position.

Iori whirled around, clearly trying to pinpoint Inumuta's location; his sewing machine arms seemed to sniff the empty air around him. Iori then paused, as he felt the strange sensation of the train of fabric behind him, being lifted up.

"Gotcha," whispered a voice beside his ear.

Before Iori could react, he felt the cloth being wrapped around his arms, as Inumuta phased in behind him. As Iori's metallic arms moved in to snatch at the intruder, Inumuta flipped over Iori's head with the train of fabric, just barely avoiding their fangs; Inumuta then wrapped the cloth around Iori's head, blinding him, and tightened the fabric around his neck.

"Now who's giving up?" Inumuta asked Iori smugly, as he pulled the cloth taut, not quite hard enough to choke.

"What makes you think… I would give up… so easily?" murmured Iori, somewhat muffled by the fabric.

Inumuta's eyes then widened, as Iori's mechanized arms closed in on him. He attemped to fade away from sight, but far too late; the metal arms had wound themselves tightly around both him and Iori, cancelling his camouflage, and binding them together.

Inumuta grimaced, as the metallic arms squeezed around him. "You would crush us both, Iori?" he gasped out.

"If it was either that or being defeated… Then yes," replied Iori, in a strained voice.

Despite himself, Inumuta couldn't help but smile. "Shall we call it a draw, then?"

"Fair… enough."

Inumuta felt Iori's mechanical arms loosen around him. He slid back quickly, as Iori unwrapped his uniform from around his face. Then both transformed back into their usual uniforms, in a cluster of coloured stars.

"Thanks for the fight," commented Iori, rubbing his neck a little.

"Thank you for the data," replied Inumuta, without a hint of his usual sarcasm. "I'm sure it will prove useful in improving both of our Regalias." He then grimaced to himself.

"Ugh, I'm all sweaty now," murmured Inumuta, in disgust. "I'm going to head to the baths."

"I'll join you," said Iori.

At this, Inumuta raised an eyebrow. "Oh?"

"Don't get the wrong idea," retorted Iori. "I just need a bath, as well."

Inumuta shrugged. "Whatever you say."

As they left the storage room, their voices drifted down slightly, as they walked across the catwalk.

"We have the key to the baths, you know… We could just lock the door."

"Knock it off, you…"

END

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Probe vs. Tailor's Regalia, aka Battle of the Nerds. ;P When I learned that Iori may have had his 3 stars all along, I couldn't resist writing this; I'll take any opportunity to write a fight scene, and certainly one between these two. And yes, I do know Inumuta's afterimages is a Mk 2 ability, but I figured he just didn't use it during Ryuko's fight...


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